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The Medicine Hat Kiwanis Club has named its best block (top) and residence for 2021.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Kiwanis Club has awarded its Best Block and Best Residence for 2021.
Marvin and Linda Mutschler at 438 Prospect Drive SW won Best Residence in the city, with Best Block belonging to 3017, 3023, 3029, 3035, 3041 and 3047 Cottonwood Way SW.
Derrick Ironside, president of the Kiwanis club, says the program that has been going on for more than 50 years instills civic pride in the community as people compete to be the best.
“It’s all about making our community look good and feel good,” said Ironside, quoting Mayor Ted Clugston, who helped present the winners with their lawn signs.
The Best Block and Best Residence program divides the city up in 12 groups that the Kiwanis Club then spends 12 weeks going through and choosing a winner per week for both categories. It’s after those 12 weeks the club goes out again decides the winner for the entire year.
Ironside says it was a difficult year for the city’s yards because of weather extremes.
“This year was tough because the winter was tough. This year was kind of dry,” he said.
It is a program for the Kiwanis Club that Ironside says has to run no matter what, because of what it means to the city and its residents.
“This is one of our signature programs,” he said. “It’s one that last year we made it mandatory that we cannot allow the project not to occur. We just cannot, it’s got to happen COVID or no COVID. This program has got to go ahead.”
Ironside, who has one more year as Kiwanis president, says this program will run next year as well, no matter what.
