To the Editor:

This year's Garden Club Standard Flower Show was held at the Dobisky Community Center on Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20. By all accounts it was a success. 25 exhibits were entered by the adult members, and 13 exhibits were entered from the Youth Garden Club members. Also many residents from surrounding communities entered into the Horticultural Division. All were spectacular. The judges had a very hard job deciding on placements for awards and ribbons.

The Ogdensburg Garden Club would like to thank several people. Firstly, the Dobisky Community Center and the Recreation Dept. for allowing us the use of such a beautiful, easily accessible building overlooking the St. Lawrence River for our show. No place more appropriate for our theme: "The St. Lawrence River - Our Home."

A thank you to club member Marita Helfen-Looney for the magnificent staging both inside and outside to welcome people in. A thank you to Basta's Flower Shop and Bruce Dana Photography for their commercial exhibits. They received awards of appreciation for setting up the Lobby with their beautiful professional displays. Also to Miller's Flowers & Landscaping for supplying the club with an abundance of colorful plants and flowers to be placed in the staging areas.

The Club sends a thank you to the Ogdensburg Journal/Advance News and North Country Now/North Country This Week for running our ads weekly to get the publicity out to the public.

A big thank you to the 6 judges from the Federated Garden Club, who traveled from the Utica area to attend our show. The judges had rave reviews.

A thank you goes out to Louise Markert, Tony Beane and Glory Martel for their patience and expertise in knowing how to set up and record the Horticultural Division.

A thank you to Ann Groome and Loni Recker for their many hours of enjoyment you spend with the Youth members mentoring and teaching them about native plants, their care, beekeeping, butterflies, and flower gardens in general, etc. Their designs were very thought out and precise.

The club would like to thank Mickey Snye and Julie Howell for their extensive educational exhibits on raising honeybees in the St. Lawrence Valley and native plants of the St. Lawrence Valley.

A special thank you to Sally Moore and her committee for hosting a brunch upon the judges' arrival before the show, and for hosting a luncheon for the judges at her home after the show. Much appreciated.

The club extends a very special thank you to Club President Lin Griffin and Flower Show Co-Chairs Mickey Snye and Darlene Liscum for the endless hours they spent in detailing and preparing for the show. Your hard work was witnessed in this spectacular show.

A thank you to the many club members who maybe didn't attend the meetings, but who worked on Thursday, Aug. 18 for the setup, worked on Friday, Aug. 19 as clerks, greeters, etc.; and the people who helped with the cleanup on Saturday, Aug. 20. It takes many hands to accomplish a show of this size.

And, lastly, we would like to thank the area communities, including Canada, for coming out on such a beautiful day to support our show.

Wanda Purser

Ogdensburg Garden Club