Ottawa takes second place at a national gardening competition

          A season of planting, weeding and watering paid off for the green thumbs in Ottawa.  The city took second place their first time competing in the America In Bloom competition. 

          Mayor Bob Eschbach and a few volunteers traveled to awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida over the weekend.  Eschbach says he is proud of their strong showing and is looking forward to reviewing the judges’ recommendations. 

          Ottawa earned a four out of five rating and a Special Mention Award for the transformation of its downtown from “what was once an overwhelming concrete city island.”

          Cleanliness, banners and murals also helped Ottawa to be considered one of the top three communities for Overall Impression.