Biola University received the “Most Outstanding” award at the La Mirada Beautification Awards Ceremony last Monday, May 11, 2009, for excellence in enhancement and preservation of the beauty of La Mirada. The free ceremony was held at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m.

According to the City of La Mirada, “this program reinforces the spirit of neighborhood pride, which is the foundation of a well-kept community.”

Biola was given two awards, one for an excellent exterior appearance of campus, and another for the outstanding appearance of Biola’s Tradewinds Apartments. The city claimed Biola has made a noteworthy contribution to improving the quality of the neighborhood.

On behalf of the University, Brian Phillips accepted the awards as the senior director of facilities services.

“The grounds are an important part of our living and working environments at Biola,” said Phillips, “Much hard work has gone into improving the overall appearance of the campus in recent years.”

Phillips attributes the aesthetics of Biola’s campus to its 12 full-time groundskeepers.

“While the City's award program emphasizes landscaping, it also recognizes ‘outstanding maintenance standards’ and the ‘overall appearance’ of the properties selected,” said Phillips. “Congratulations on a job well-done to all our Facilities staff who work so hard to make Biola a beautiful place to work and live."

The La Mirada Spring Beautification Program recognizes homeowners, schools and businesses in three award categories: Most Outstanding, Most Improved and Honoree. Biola’s campus received an award under the classification of Houses of Worship and School, and the Tradewinds was recognized under Undergraduate Housing.

Written by Ashley Shafer, Media Relations Intern